Ironer shoe



June 23, 1942. T,- J LITLE, JR l 2,287,528

IRONER SHOE originl Filed March 25, 1940 4, IHVEHT DE ATT URHEY THaMAs.J LITLI; JR.

Patente'dy June 23, 1942 IRONER SHOE Thomas J. une, Jr., south' nena,Ina., assignmto Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., acorporation oi.' Delaware Original application March 25, 1940, SerialNo.

Divided and this application March 5,

1941, Serial No. 381,882

Claims.

This case is a division oi my copending application, Ser. No. 325,822,led March 25, 1940; and is concerned with improvements in theconstruction oi an ironing machine shoe. l

One of the objects of my invention is to pro vide a simple ironingmachine shoe construction that insures high emciencyof heat iiow to theelectric heating element to the sole plate of the shoe.

Another object of my invention is to form the sole 'plate and the backplate of an ironing machine shoe in such fashion that when the parts areassembled, the back plate will exert pressure over the heating elementso as to force the heating element into intimate contact. with the soleplate.

Stili another object of my invention is to provide a simple means forlocking the back plate tothe sole plate.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from thefollowing speciilcation taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing in which: v

Figure l is a rear elevation of an ironing machine showing the shoe ofmy invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the shoe showing theseparate parts thereof.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the shoe cut away to showthe cross-sectional construction.

The ironing machine shown in Figure 1 is more completely described in mycopending application, Ser. No. 325,822; and ior the present purposegeneral description will suice. The machine coniprises the base it, theroll li, and the shoe i2. The roil is mounted above the base by means ofthe xed bracket it. A swinging bracket id supports the shoe i2. Thehandle i5 operates mechanism, not shown, for swinging the support ittoward and away from the roll il.. An electric motor and suitablegearing is mounted within the roll ii for driving the same and isconnected by suitable wiring to control switches, not shown, and asource of electric current, by means of the plug it. Suitable wiringplaced within the tubular support lll is connected within the pas@ so tothe com leading to the plug le.

iit the roll and is provided with the retroverted edges or lips -2I and22. An electric heating unit 25 is positioned adjacent the sole plateand in contact therewith. The heating unit 25 comprises a resistanceelement here shown in two sections 26 and 21, which extendlongitudinally of the unit. The resistance element is secured betweentwo sheets oi mica 28 and 29, or other suitable electric insulatingmaterial that is not aected by heat. A heat insulating pad 30 is placedover the heating unit 25. The back plate 3l is formed from a sheet ofmetal, preferably steel, and is provided with a longitudinal marginalportion 32 adapted to slide under the lip 22 of the shoe 20 and a secondlongitudinal marginal portion 33 adaptedto slide under the.: lip 2i ofthe shoe 2l). Between the marginal portions 32 and 33 the plate di isbent upwardly, as at 3d and 35, to form the generally domeshaped portion36, which extends longitudinally of the back plate. Two longitudinaldepressions 31 and 3B are formed in the dome 36,A 'Ihe depressions 31and 38 are positioned so as to press the pad 30 downward over theportions of the heating unit 25 which contain the resistance elements 26and 21, and thus press the heating unit 25 into intimate contact withthe sole plate 2d when the shoe is assembled. This structure reduces theresistance of the heat flow from the sections 26 and 21 of the electricresistance unit to the sole plate 2d.

I have provided a novel means for securing the back plate in positionwhich is not only simple but also serves to hold the back plate undertension so as to continuously exert pressure on the heating element 2t?.

The assembly of the shoe is as follows:

The heating unit 25 is positioned iongitudinally of the sole plate/2d.The insulating pad it is then pressed over the heating unit 25. The backplate 3i is then slid endwise into position with the marginal portions32 and 33 sprung under me lips 2l and 22 of the sole plate 20. Theheight of the dome-shaped portion 36 of the back plate 3| is such thatin this position the portions 31 and 38 press against the insulating Dad3d. Pressure is then exerted on the back plate 3l so as to force itdownward with conslderable force on the insulating pad 30. While stillheld under pressure, the rod dt is forced down over the marginal portion33 and under the lip 2i of the shoe 2t. The rod 60 extends the fulllength of the shoe. The second rod di is forced downwardly on themarginal portion 32 of the shoe back 8| and under the lip 22 ci the shoe20. The rod 4I likewise extends the full length of the entire shoe. Therods 40 and Il may be further secured in place by swaging the lips 2|and 22 at intervals along the length of the lips. 40 and 4| are forcedinto place, the marginal portions 32 and 33 contact the retrovertedportions 22 and 2|; and when the rods 40 and 4I are inserted, themarginal portions 32 and 33 are forced downward so as to contact thesole It is to be noted that before the rods plate 20, thus placing theentire back plateplate and an electric heating unit comprisingelectrically insulated resistance elements, said heating unit beingplaced in contact with the back of said sole plate, in combination, aheat insulating member substantially covering said heating unit, a backmember, a plurality of protuberances extending inwardly of said backmemberk and positioned over said resistance elements in such manner asto spring said back member toward said sole plate, and means forfastening said back member to said sole plate, whereby saidprotuberances press said insulating member against said heating unit andforce said heating unit into intimate contact with said sole platethereby providing a conductor path of low resistance for the flow ofheat from said resistance element to said sole plate.

2. In an ironing machine shoe having a sole plate and an electricheating unit comprising electrically insulated resistance elements,means for pressing the effective heat producing area of said electricheating unit into intimate contact with said sole plate comprising, aheat insulating pad positioned over said heating unit, a single memberconstituting a back cover and pressure plate, a plurality of inwardlyextending protuberances formed integrally with said member, saidprotuberances substantially corresponding in position and area to saidresistance elements, and means for fastening said member to said soleplate.

3. In an ironing machine shoe having an electric heating element, incombination, a metallic sole plate the longitudinal edges thereof beingretrovertedto form U-shaped pockets, a sheet metal back plate extendingsubstantially the length of said sole plate and shaped to form a chamberfor receiving said heating element, the longitudinal edges of said backplate extending into said U-shaped pockets and wedging means adapted tobe forced into said pockets over the edges of said back plate.

4. A device as described in claim 3 wherein said wedging means eachcomprises a metal rod extending substantially the length of said shoe.

5. In an ironing machine shoe having an electric resistance heatingelement, in combination, a metallic sole plate, longitudinal retrovertedportions extending along either side of said sole platefor substantiallythe entire length thereof and forming overhanging lips, a pad of heatinsulating material disposed over said heating element, a back platecomprising a shallow trough of substantially the same length as saidshoe, said trough being adapted to cover said heating element and saidpad, a longitudinal marginal flange portion extending along each side ofsaid trough and adapted to slide under and engage said lips, and meansfor wedging said flanges beneath said lips to force said flanges intocontact with said soleplate and to force said trough portion againstsaid pad.

6. A device as described in claim 5 wherein said trough portion isprovided with inwardly projecting portions located over said electricresistance unit.

7. In an ironing machine shoe having a sole plate and an electricheating unit of the type comprising a pair of electric resistanceelements mounted parallel to each other between two sheets of mica, saidresistance elements extending longitudinally of said heating unit, andsaid heating unit being positioned in contact with the back of said soleplate, in combination, a heat insulating pad substantially covering saidheating unit, a back member, a pair of depressions in said back memberextending longitudinally thereof and arranged to register substantiallyover said resistance elements, and means for securing said back memberto said sole plate so as to distort said back member whereby said backmember depressions concentrate pressure on said insulating pad overysubstantially only the area of said depressions to force said heatingunit into intimate contact with said sole plate substantially over theareas within which are contained the resistance elements.

8. In an ironing machine shoe having an electric heating unit comprisingresistance elements encased in a dielectric, in combination, a metallicsole plate, the longitudinal edges thereof being retroverted to formU-shaped pockets, a sheet metal -back plate extending substantially thelength of said sole plate and shaped to form a chamber for receivingsaid heating element therein, a plurality of inwardly projectingportions formed integrally in said back plate and located so as toregister over said resistance elements when said shoe is assembled,flanges extending along the longitudinal edges of said back plate, saidflanges being adapted to extend into and engage with said U-shapedpockets, and wedging means adapted to be forced into said pockets overthe flanges of said back plate whereby said back plate is forceddownwardly along the edges thereof and is bowed so vas to cause saidinwardly projecting portions to exert resilient pressure over theresistance elements to bring the heating unit into intimate contact withsaid sole plate.

9. In an ironing machine shoe having an electric heating unit comprisingresistance elements encased in a dielectric, in combination, a metallicsole plate, the longitudinal edges thereof being retroverted to formU-shaped pockets, a sheet metal back plate extending substantially thelength of said sole plate and shaped to form a'chamber for receivingsaid heating element therein, a plurality of inwardly projectingportions formed integrally in said back plate and located so as toregister over said resistance elements whensaid shoe is assembled,flanges extending along the longitudinal edges of said back 1.1ate, saidflanges being adapted to extend into and engage with said' U-shapedpockets, and removable combined back plate anchoring and ilexing meansadjacent each longitudinal edge of said back plate and interposedbetween the outer face of the back plate and the adjacent over-hangingedge of the sole plate to-releasably anchor the back plate to the soleplate and in continuous plate exing pressure contact with the outer faceoi the back plate adjacent said over-hanging edges of the sole plate toex the back plate transversely toward the soie plate to exert-resilientpressure over the resistance elements by means of the inwardlyprojecting portions to create a heat transfer path of low resistancebetween said resistance elements and said sole plate.

10. In an ironing machine shoe having a sole plate and an electricheating unit comprising a plurality of resistance elements encased in adielectric and extending longitudinally of said sole plate, said heatingunit being positioned in contact with the back of said sole plate, in'combination, a pressure plate for exerting pressure on chamber portionarranged longitudinally thereof to register over said resistanceelements, marginal portions, one extending along each longitudinal sideof said chamber portion, said marginal portions being spaced away fromsaid sole plate when said shoe is assembled and before.

fastening said pressure plate to said sole plate, and means for drawingsaidl marginal portions toward said sole plate along the length of saidshoe and removably fastening said pressure plate to said sole platewhereby said pressure plate isy flexed laterally to' exert a resilientpressure through said inward depressions on said heating unit oversubstantially the area of said Aheating unit included by said resistanceelements.

THOMAS J. LITLE, JR.

